Hembrough named Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce president

Chris Hembrough, an executive with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Springfield for seven years, has been named president and CEO of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

Hembrough, 50 and a native of Springfield, starts July 1.

“I’m very passionate about our community,” Hembrough said Tuesday. “One of the things that has always driven me is making a significant difference in the community that I’m a part of.”

He succeeds Steward Sandstrom, who was fired in January after a year and a half in the job. The chamber has 1,600 members, a staff of 14 and a $1.8 million annual budget.

After graduating from Griffin High School in Springfield in 1981, Hembrough attended the University of Miami, where he played tight end on the 1983 national champion football team. After earning a divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, he started Atlee Community Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, in 1995.

The church had 7,000 members within seven years, according to the chamber.

After returning to Springfield, Hembrough owned seven Fink’s Superior Cleaner locations from 2003 to 2008. He was named executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters Illinois Capital Region in 2007. A general manager ran the cleaners until Hembrough sold the business in 2008.

Hembrough said he had questions when deciding to pursue the chamber job, but that he believes the city is poised to take advantage of growth in the health care, insurance, logistics, engineering and financing industries, especially as a way to keep young people in Springfield.

“One of mine was the state of the chamber, if you will, where has the chamber been and where do we want to go?” said Hembrough. “The chamber has a great strategic plan in place, and I think we’ll be able to really drive those goals.”

The chamber opened its search for Sandstrom’s replacement by announcing the focus would be on local candidates familiar with Springfield and city issues. Sandstrom came to Springfield from a chamber in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“The one thing we noticed very quickly was Chris’ passion,” said chamber chairman Tom Fitch. “For the leader of an organization such as the chamber, having that passion for a community was really important.”

Fitch said Hembrough also had the advantage of running a business and leading an organization such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“He’s understood the pressures of owning a business, of making a payment to the bank, of meeting payroll and working with employees,” said Fitch. “All the stress that our members are under on a day-to-day basis, he’s lived it, he understands it.”

Search committee chairman Jim Britton of Express Employment Professionals said there were 21 applicants for the job. Britton said the search never went outside the Springfield region.